New geodetic reference system and geolocation: national impact plan is needed

Mauro Salvemini, "Nuovo Sistema Geodetico di Riferimento e geolocalizzazione: occorre un piano di impatto socio-economico! = New geodetic reference system and geolocation: national impact plan is needed" in: Bollettino dell'Associazione Italiana di Cartografia, 153 (2015), pp. 63-68L'articolo inquadra la questione del nuovo sistema geodetico di riferimento descrivendo la evoluzione delle decisioni internazionali di carattere socio economico prese dagli organi preposti alla sua valutazione e proposizione quale l'ECOSOC e i gruppi di lavoro delle Nazioni Unite e propone di riflettere sull'impatto che a livello nazionale esso potrà avere anche in considerazione delle risorse umane ed economiche da investire per adottarlo. Si discute sull'impatto sulla geolocalizzazione e georeferenziazione e sui vincoli per prendere le adeguate decisioni per ottimizzare la utilità del nuovo sistema per i servizi ai cittadini.The article discusses the international resolutions taken by ECOSOC and UN related working groups with specific reference to the social and economic impact of them. Italian situation is addressed and discussed while author individuates the human and economic resources to be invested to make the new system sustainable within Italian topographic, cartographic and geo-information reality. The differences between geolocation and georeference are addressed and discussed aiming to highlight how the new reference system may be used to provide services to citizens

Plan4all: European Network of Best Practices for Interoperability of Spatial Planning Information

Methodologies usually adopted in urban and regional planning do not assume an approach based on Spatial Data Infrastructures principles, which could ensure a better use of geospatial data and support interoperability of planning choices providing an active participation of stakeholders involved in planning processes. An innovative approach of e-government based on a better organization and management of geospatial data, could contribute, through a deeper territorial knowledge and a more appropriate use of decision support tools, to more effectively pursue planning goals. Spatial planning and related information have a strategic importance not only at local and national level but also at international scale where a "continuum" of settlements characterizes the crossing of various countries. Planning activity is also strictly related to aspects such as management of natural resources, prevention of natural disasters, transports which in many cases have international cross-border interests. Consequently, today there is an absolute need of harmonized planning data a strong demand of planning core data sets in order to provide an easy and wide understandability of this information. The objective of the Plan4all project is to build a network of local, regional and national stakeholders, companies in the ICT sector, organizations involved in planning and economic development, universities and international agencies in order to find a consensus concerning the harmonization of spatial planning data based on existing best practices in Europe and according to the European Directive INSPIRE. The project takes into account lessons learned from previous experiences, such as Armonia, Humboldt, eSDINet+, Euradin, whose partners are also present in the Plan4all consortium. The project will involve also the experience of OGC working group members concerning the definition of standards technologies. Plan4all aims to contribute to the harmonization of planning data. Based on best practi- - ces analysis, the project is producing a series of technical documents for metadata profiles design and implementation, data models and harmonization procedures. Particular attention will be paid to issues related to the protection of intellectual property rights, as well as security aspects

Serum resistin is causally related to mortality risk in patients with type 2 diabetes: Preliminary evidences from genetic data

Resistin has been firmly associated with all-cause mortality. We investigated, whether, in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), this association is sustained by a cause-effect relationship. A genotype risk score (GRS), created by summing the number of resistin increasing alleles of two genome-wide association studies (GWAS)-derived single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), serum resistin measurements and allcause death records were obtained in 1,479 (403 events/12,454 person-years), patients with T2D from three cohorts, Gargano Heart Study-prospective design (n = 350), Gargano Mortality Study (n = 698) and Foggia Mortality Study (n = 431), from Italy. GRS was strongly associated with serum resistin in a non-linear fashion (overall p = 3.5 ∗ 10-7) with effect size modest for GRS = 1 and 2 and much higher for GRS >3, with respect to GRS = 0. A significant non-linear association was observed also between GRS and all-cause mortality (overall p = 3.3 ∗ 10-2), with a low effect size for GRS = 1 and 2, and nearly doubled for GRS ≥ 3, with respect to GRS = 0. Based on the above-reported associations, each genetic equivalent SD increase in log-resistin levels showed a causal hazard ratio of all-cause mortality equal to 2.17 (95%CI: 1.22-3.87), thus providing evidence for a causal role of resistin in shaping the risk of mortality in diabetic patients

Genomic organization and splicing evolution of the doublesex gene, a Drosophila regulator of sexual differentiation, in the dengue and yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti

Background: In the model system Drosophila melanogaster, doublesex (dsx) is the double-switch gene at the bottom of the somatic sex determination cascade that determines the differentiation of sexually dimorphic traits. Homologues of dsx are functionally conserved in various dipteran species, including the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. They show a striking conservation of sex-specific regulation, based on alternative splicing, and of the encoded sex-specific proteins, which are transcriptional regulators of downstream terminal genes that influence sexual differentiation of cells, tissues and organs. Results: In this work, we report on the molecular characterization of the dsx homologue in the dengue and yellow fever vector Aedes aegypti (Aeadsx). Aeadsx produces sex-specific transcripts by alternative splicing, which encode isoforms with a high degree of identity to Anopheles gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster homologues. Interestingly, Aeadsx produces an additional novel female-specific splicing variant. Genomic comparative analyses between the Aedes and Anopheles dsx genes revealed a partial conservation of the exon organization and extensive divergence in the intron lengths. An expression analysis showed that Aeadsx transcripts were present from early stages of development and that sex-specific regulation starts at least from late larval stages. The analysis of the female-specific untranslated region (UTR) led to the identification of putative regulatory cis-elements potentially involved in the sex-specific splicing regulation. The Aedes dsx sex-specific splicing regulation seems to be more complex with the respect of other dipteran species, suggesting slightly novel evolutionary trajectories for its regulation and hence for the recruitment of upstream splicing regulators. Conclusions: This study led to uncover the molecular evolution of Aedes aegypti dsx splicing regulation with the respect of the more closely related Culicidae Anopheles gambiae orthologue. In Aedes aegypti, the dsx gene is sex-specifically regulated and encodes two female-specific and one male-specific isoforms, all sharing a doublesex/mab 3 (DM) domain-containing N-terminus and different C-termini. The sex-specific regulation is based on a combination of exon skipping, 5' alternative splice site choice and, most likely, alternative polyadenylation. Interestingly, when the Aeadsx gene is compared to the Anopheles dsx ortholog, there are differences in the in silico predicted default and regulated sex-specific splicing events, which suggests that the upstream regulators either are different or act in a slightly different manner. Furthermore, this study is a premise for the future development of transgenic sexing strains in mosquitoes useful for sterile insect technique (SIT) programs

Urban Growth and Urbanization of Sofiа, Belgrade and Rome: the Interaction between Urban Planning and the Market

The paper explores the problems of sustainable and resilient development of the cities in Eastern and South-east Europe on the examples of Sofia, Belgrade and Rome and their urban regions. The research draws comparisons to the forms, patterns and mechanisms of their development.Editors: Atanas Kovachev, Aleksandar D Slaev, Diliana Daskalov

Sex- and age-related differences in the management and outcomes of chronic heart failure: an analysis of patients from the ESC HFA EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry

Aims: This study aimed to assess age- and sex-related differences in management and 1-year risk for all-cause mortality and hospitalization in chronic heart failure (HF) patients. Methods and results: Of 16 354 patients included in the European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Long-Term Registry, 9428 chronic HF patients were analysed [median age: 66 years; 28.5% women; mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 37%]. Rates of use of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) were high (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists: 85.7%, 88.7% and 58.8%, respectively). Crude GDMT utilization rates were lower in women than in men (all differences: P\ua0 64 0.001), and GDMT use became lower with ageing in both sexes, at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Sex was not an independent predictor of GDMT prescription; however, age >75 years was a significant predictor of GDMT underutilization. Rates of all-cause mortality were lower in women than in men (7.1% vs. 8.7%; P\ua0=\ua00.015), as were rates of all-cause hospitalization (21.9% vs. 27.3%; P\ua075 years. Conclusions: There was a decline in GDMT use with advanced age in both sexes. Sex was not an independent predictor of GDMT or adverse outcomes. However, age >75 years independently predicted lower GDMT use and higher all-cause mortality in patients with LVEF 6445%

Interoperabilità e pianificazione territoriale: un libro prodotto nell’ambito di INSPIRE

Gli autori generalmente non recensiscono i loro libri e quanto segue è in linea con questa prassi.La rubrica ospita questa volta la presentazione del libro prodotto al termine del progetto Plan4all  ( www.plan4all.eu ), che ho chiesto a Franco Vico, responsabile scientifico della partecipazione del partner AM-FM GIS Italia.  L’associazione AMFM GIS Italia (www.amfm.it ) ha svolto nel progetto un ruolo rilevante per quanto riguarda aspetti quali la validazione dei modelli di dati, dei metadati e della usabilità delle soluzioni. Il lavoro svolto nel progetto ha creato nell’ambito della associazione un dominio di conoscenza e di ottima pratica che è a disposizione per essere condivisa con chi ne sia interessato. Quindi chiunque desideri approfondire il tema può rivolgersi ad AM-FM GIS Italia ([email protected]).   Interoperability  and  territorial  planning:  a book produced in the framework of INSPIRE The Plan4all project www.plan4all.eu contributes to the standardisation in the field of spatial data from spatial planning point of view. Its activities and results will become a reference material for INSPIRE initiative; especially  for  data  specification.  Plan4all is focused on the following 7 spatial data themes as outlined in Annex II and III of the INSPIRE Directive and Figure 1:• Land cover• Land use• Utility and Governmental services• Production and industrial facilities• Agricultural and aquaculture facilities• Area management/restriction/regulation zones and reporting units• Natural risk zonesAMFM GIS ITALIA  (www.amfm.it) is partner of Plan4all project and leading association in Italy for geospatial information.The book published by the project is freely available  at  http://www.plan4all.eu/simplecms/?menuID=65&action=article&presenter=Articl

Direttiva INSPIRE in Italia: il re è nudo!

E’ assolutamente fuori di dubbio che per l’Italia l’evento più importante della Conferenza INSPIRE 2013 conclusasi a Firenze il 27 giugno sia stata la interpellanza parlamentare urgente già annunciata il 18/06/13 al Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare e presentata e discussa nell’aula di Montecitorio il giorno stesso della chiusura della conferenza. The present and historical complex Italian situation with regard to INSPIRE policy and governance is analysed. The institutional initiatives are discussed after the point of order presented by Italian party ( on June 27th) about the standard usage of geographic data within entire public administration. The article is proposing some specific inputs and solutions to be discussed for over passing the contingent situation

Stato dell'arte dell'Informazione Geografca in Europa

Il 26 marzo a Bruxelles si è svolto, ospitato dalla Commissione Europea e da me presieduto, il quindicesimo incontro ed assemblea annuale dei membri dell’associazione EUROGI, la prima organizzazione-ombrello europea dedicata alle singole associazioni nazionali attive nell’ambito dell’Informazione Geografica